As we wind down towards the end of the year, this will be the second last eNews, so we thought we would keep it short and sweet. We will be up and running again in mid-January, so if you miss your weekly fix of our eNews, we encourage you to use the time to rest and spend time with family and friends. I would like to thank everyone who came along last Thursday morning to celebrate International Human Rights Day. The th
eme for the 2011 International Human Rights Day is ‘promoting human dignity’ and also marks the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. It was wonderful to see people, and to get some important updates about what is happening in this space. I also wanted to share some really good news with members that late last week we received approval from the Victorian Local Sustainability Advisory Committee for a VLGA project called Resilient Neighbourhoods: integrated approaches to urban planning. The project seeks to address three key challenges for local government:* The need for more integrated planning within local government, and between government agencies, for urban growth and change
* Opportunities to facilitate effective community dialogue about sustainable urban growth and change
* To support local governments to meet the increasing challenge of engagement over diverse and sometimes confronting issues
We will be working with lots of local governments facing urban growth and change, and if you would like to know more about the project, drop me a line. That’s it from me this week. In the meantime please don’t hesitate to call me to discuss issues of interest to you on 0407 364 509, or drop me a line via email. Cheers.
Cr Samantha Dunn, President
Keeping you up to date
VLGA Submission on Pre-commitment for Pokies
The State Government recently released a Discussion Paper on Pre-Commitment for Pokies. In our submission, we stated that in our view, voluntary pre-commitment – if it is well-promoted and there is a high take-up rate – can assist (but is not really as effective as fully as mandatory) those people who have accepted they are beginning to develop, or have a problem with gambling and want to stay in control. While our strong preference would be for a mandatory model, we believe that voluntary pre-commitment should be combined with other measures (e.g. lower limits on machines, and reduced spin rates) if it is to be effective.
Program announced for 2012 Essential Mayors Weekend
From all accounts, a high number of first-time Mayors have been elected over the last couple of weeks. Being Mayor is a challenge at all times, and there will be added pressures in navigating the final year of the council term. The VLGA’s Essential Mayors’ Weekend is one of our most popular training offers, and we encourage as many Mayors as possible to join us for networking, master classes, and a range of opportunities to work together in a confidential environment on local challenges and solutions. Interested Mayors can download the program and the registration form from our website.
Independent Commissioner to oversee FOI requests
Members may be aware that legislation to establish a commissioner to oversee freedom of information (FOI) requests made to Government departments was introduced into State Parliament last week. The appointment of an independent FOI commissioner was one of the Coalition's key election promises. It is proposed that the independent commissioner will be appointed by the Governor-in-Council as an officer of the Parliament. The commissioner will have the power to review FOI decisions, investigate complaints and educate government departments about how to better handle FOI applications. The State Government deserves congratulations on this announcement, but the VLGA believes that a statutory officer alone cannot turn around a secretive FOI culture that has been allowed to thrive in Victoria. We look forward to monitoring whether this culture changes in the interests of transparency and community access to decision-making.
More coverage on the IBAC
In last week’s eNews, we provided some information about the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) and we note the passing of the First and Second Readings of the Bill in Parliament last Thursday. There was plenty of coverage on talk-back radio on Friday morning, with a wide and diverse range of commentators welcoming the Bill. There was further coverage in The Age on Thursday. To see the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission Amendment (Investigative Functions) Bill 2011 and associated documents, go here. The VLGA will provide further information to members in the new year.
Inspiring Communities Conference papers now available
Some time ago in eNews, we talked about the wonderful Inspiring Communities Conference held in Shepparton earlier in the year. This Conference highlighted the need to work ‘inside-out’ with communities to ascertain and harness their assets and strengths, rather than ‘top-down’ approaches that can often be viewed suspiciously by communities. Conference organisers have now advised that presentations are available at http://www.inspirecommunities.com.au/, under the ‘Resources’ tab. Once other presentations become available they will be placed on this page as well.
2012 From Strength to Strength Conference keynote speaker announced
National Disability Services (NDS) is pleased to announce that the opening keynote speaker for the 2012 From Strength to Strength conference will be Stuart Taylor, Managing Partner of The Resilience Institute, speaking on Resilient Leadership in Challenging Times. In 2002, while climbing the ladder to corporate executive, Stuart was diagnosed with brain cancer and given a prognosis of two and a half years to live. Far from accepting the prognosis, Stuart embarked on a journey back to physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual health. Part of this journey included creating The Resilience Institute in Australia to share his experience and philosophy with Australian organisations. Stuart has recently celebrated his nine year milestone and really is going from strength to strength. Keep up to date with the conference program by visiting their dedicated conference website. For more information about the conference program, please contact Jieh-Yung Lo, at NDS, on 03 8341 431 or email.
Federal Parliamentary Library Clean Energy Bill Digest
Following the passage of recent legislation has been a very complex task. To assist with community understanding, the Parliamentary Library has produced a Bills Digest of the Clean Energy Bills that explains what the new Acts will do, describes the genesis of the MPCCC, summarises different parties policies, different countries' emissions reduction commitments, and lots of other useful bits and pieces – all with the meticulous citation that the Library always provides – all in 117 concise pages!
Victorian Inquiry into the Social and Economic Costs of Problem Gambling
The State Government will direct the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC) to undertake a public inquiry next year into the social and economic costs of problem gambling in Victoria. This directive is one of the Victorian Coalition’s pre-election promises on tackling problem gambling, within the Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition Plan for Gaming (2010). The VLGA supports the State Government’s decision to undertake an independent inquiry into the social and economic costs associated with problem gambling in Victoria, taking into account the significant work already undertaken by the Productivity Commission in this area. The State Government should, however, consider broadening the scope of the inquiry to consider the impact that gambling as an industry has on the Victorian community, rather than just problem gambling. For local governments in particular, data directly related to gambling is very difficult to source in regards to debt and bankruptcy, crime, interpersonal relationship breakdown, expenditure diversion and employment. Any inquiry should address these costs as identified by the Productivity Commission. The VLGA welcomes the inquiry, which will assist not only State Government, but also local governments to provide effective policy and problem gambling prevention programs at a local level.
VLGA Events
First Leading Edge Forum for 2012
2012 Timor-Leste Elections: implications, opportunities and challenges
Thursday 2 February, from 6pm
VLGA, 60 Leicester Street Carlton
As Timor-Leste faces its third round of democratic elections since it formally achieved independence in 2002, our first LEF for the year brings a range of speakers together to reflect on the implications for our nearest neighbour and Australians. Join experts and observers to explore who’s who in the Timor-Leste Elections; long-term dynamics and issues likely to face any new President, the Government and people; implications for the strategic relationship with Australia, and how Australian friendship relationships are influencing wellbeing in local communities. More details and invitation to follow!
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